A Place in This Home
by BaronessBlixen
Summary: Set between 02x09/02x10: Back in Storybrooken Emma accidentally overhears a conversation between her parents in the middle of the night. One-shot. Charming family fluff.


**A/N**: Just a little something I thought of the other night. Didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but lately it never does. Hope you like it anyway :)

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The only thing Emma was afraid of was that the stairs might make a noise. She had no experience trying to sneak downstairs without waking her son and her parents. The truth was a funny thing, she realized. Not too long ago there had been no parents and no kid to disturb. Now she had to include them in every decision she made. Even if that decision was merely to get a glass of water. To her surprise, Henry had fallen asleep quickly. He had thrown all kinds of questions at her and before she had been able to answer half of them, he was gone. For a while she had just watched him. Sometimes she still couldn't believe he was actually her son; her own flesh and blood. In many ways Henry was her personal little fairytale. Living with him and Mary Margaret definitely made her more sentimental than she liked.

Those thoughts were abandoned as she started to climb down the stairs. She didn't remember whether they squeaked or not. Usually she didn't have to pay attention to such details. Emma tried the first step and noted with relief that everything stayed as quiet as it had before. The only sound seemed to be her beating heart. The very same one that Cora had tried to rip out. The spot still felt sore; it was as if someone had hit her with a blunt object. Emma was used to that kind of pain and it didn't bother her. All the implications that came with knowing that her heart couldn't actually be ripped out… that was something she didn't want to think about just yet.

Were it just Mary Margaret downstairs, maybe Emma wouldn't have worried so much. After all, the two women had lived together for a while now. But there was someone else: David Nolan or Prince Charming or… her father. For all she knew he awoke easily and she really wasn't in the mood for an awkward conversation in the middle of the night. So far Emma had managed three stairs. There weren't many left and she decided to just take a chance. But before her foot touched the next stair she heard a noise. She stopped dead in her tracks. Had she woken one of them after all?

"She needs time." Voices. Whispers. Emma hadn't woken her parents up; they had never been asleep, it seemed! She could have just walked down there. Her dry mouth protested, but her feet didn't move. This was even worse. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop on them. Still she felt frozen, because she had a strange inkling they were talking about her.

"I- I know that. It's just…"

"It's weird for all of us, but imagine what she must feel."

"She told me. I mean she hinted at it. The kind of life she had… sometimes I'm scared she is never going to forgive us." The hurt in Mary Margaret's voice was so sharp that Emma felt a shiver. She should have just gone downstairs, makes noises so they would have known she was there. Emma wasn't sure she was ready to hear this. On the one hand she wanted to know every little detail. Why, how and when (but mostly why; always just why). On the other hand it was still too fresh and way too painful.

"She needs time." David said again.

"You know," Mary Margaret's voice suddenly turned softer, "she is a lot like you."

"She is?" Emma choked back a tear when she heard the pride in David's voice. It was hard to ignore Mary Margaret, because ever since the curse had been broken she was trying to get Emma to talk to her. David, however… he had wanted to give her the time and space she needed. Because, Emma realized, he needed it, too. Both of them wanted to be a family and deep in their hearts and in their blood they knew it. They just needed their minds to follow. A strange feeling overcame Emma; as a child she had often wondered what traits she had inherited from her parents and who she was most like. Now, it seemed, she finally knew it.

Lost in thought, Emma didn't notice that she'd taken a step forwards. Only she missed it and started to tumble. Her hand grabbed onto the stair-rail and she managed not to fall down. However, the stairs clunked and squeaked. Emma stood still, took a deep breath and hoped for the best.

"What was that?" Quickly, Emma decided that fleeing wouldn't do her any good. She finally took the last few stairs and this time she didn't care whether she made any noises.

"Sorry, guys. Did I wake you?" She asked innocently. Mary Margaret gave her a strange look. She was most likely trying to figure out if Emma had heard them talking. In the end she decided it didn't matter.

"No. No, you didn't." She smiled at her warmly.

"Are you ok? Is Henry all right?" David asked in that concerned voice of his. How strange all of this felt. Emma was certain that most children had lived through many moments like that when they were little. They probably didn't even remember them as adults. All they knew was that feeling of someone loving them, someone taking an interest in their well-being.

"I was just thirsty. Henry is fast asleep." Emma's throat was still dry. Now even more so.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?" As Mary Margaret asked, David was already putting the kettle on.

"I- I wanted a glass of water?"

"Tea will help you sleep, honey."

"Ok." Emma simply answered. Her legs suddenly weary she sat down and just watched them. A perfect team, she realized. How did she fit in there? As if reading her thoughts, David gave her a small smile. Mary Margaret was telling a story, but Emma couldn't listen. In the Enchanted Forest she had seen the remnants of what could have been her life; of what could have been her life. Their life together as a family. This was real. It wasn't perfect and it never would be the way either of them wanted it to be. But, Emma realized, family was no longer just an empty word, a wish. It was this.

**The End**


End file.
